UFC 154 PREVIEW & PREDICTIONS

November 16, 2012

By Anton Gurevich

UFC 154 will take place on Saturday night at the Bell Centre in Montreal, Quebec, Canada, headlined by Georges St. Pierre’s first fight in over a year. Montreal is widely-regarded as the Mecca of Mixed Martial Arts, with thousands of fans traveling from all over the world to see their heroes going toe-to-toe inside the Octagon.

Georges St. Pierre (Champ) vs. Carlos Condit (Interim Champ): This will be GSP’s first fight in 19 months, and while Carlos Condit is a fierce competitor, the French-Canadian is still the man to beat in the UFC Welterweight division. I expect GSP to control the fight with takedowns, en route to his first TKO victory in years, sometime in the ‘championship rounds’.

Martin Kampmann vs. Johny Hendricks: This one is very tough to predict, since both fighters have what it takes to get the victory. However, I believe Kampmann’s experience will be the key in this fight. Hendricks has a serious KO power, but Kampmann will control the fight and win via decision.

Francis Carmont vs. Tom Lawlor: GSP’s protégé Francis Carmont looks unstoppable, and I’m pretty sure he has what it takes to defeat Tom Lawlor. Yes, Lawlor is a ranked fighter with some serious power, but Carmont could well-be the future of the UFC Middleweight division. Carmont via submission.

Nick Ring vs. Costa Philippou: Both fighters are currently on winning streaks inside the Octagon, and will be looking to deliver convincing performances inside the Octagon. Just like any other fight on this card, this is a very close match-up. However, I think Philippou’s striking will be too much for Nick Ring. I’ll pick the Cypriot to win via TKO.

Mark Hominick vs. Pablo Garza: This is a do or die fight for the fan-favorite fighter Mark Hominick. Garza is very good on his feet, and will be looking to finish Hominick from the first seconds of the fight. I’d say Garza is a favorite to win this fight, but Hominick will be fighting tooth and nail to get the ‘W’. I’ll go with the upset and pick Hominick via TKO in Round 2.

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